Innovation and R&D have always been the essential foundations of a strong, sustainable defence industry. Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper, Defence Industry Policy Statement (DIPS) and Defence Integrated Investment Program (DIIP) acknowledge the importance of successful Defence R&D and innovation to the nation’s defence industry and thus to Australian defence policy. The 2020 Defence Force Structure Plan reinforced these foundations.
EX2 was set up by Dr Gregor Ferguson, a defence industry and innovation analyst and consultant, to make a useful contribution in Australia’s new and welcoming defence business environment.
EX2 helps innovators in Defence, the research sector and industry, and especially SMEs, by providing news and insight about innovation in Defence and adjacent sectors such as space, aerospace and resources.
Gregor Ferguson writes, teaches, advises and runs a national program designed to encourage and reward innovators in the defence, aerospace and maritime domains in both industry and the research and academic communities.
View his bio here (PDF opens in new window).
Dr Gregor Ferguson, Ph.D, BA (Hons), MRAeS
The Australian Department of Defence has signed a $180 million contract to continue provision of secure Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) satellite communications for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and coalition partners for at least eight more years. The contract with Intelsat…
Californian company Anduril Industries has been awarded up to US$50 million ($77.6 million) in contracts under the Pentagon’s Small Business Innovation Research (SIBR) program for the ALTIUS-600 Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS). The ALTIUS-600 can be both a loitering munition and…
BlueForge Alliance Australia (BFAA) and Adelaide-based Flinders University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on maritime research and education programs in support of AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.…
Canberra-based Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited (EOS) will acquire the UK-based Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) interceptor business from London-based MARSS Group for €5.5 million ($10 million). The Counter UAS interceptor is expected to take 12-24 months of further development at…
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies have collaborated on a flight test that successfully demonstrated Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming using a single-seat F-22 Raptor fighter jet and a GA-ASI MQ-20 Avenger® unmanned jet. The effort integrated L3Harris’s…
Adelaide-based ASC, together with American submarine manufacturers General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII Newport News Shipbuilding, has announced that Warriewood, NSW-based HIFraser is the first Australian business to qualify for the Virginia-class submarine supply chain through a gateway program enabled…
BlueForge Alliance Australia (BFAA) and Adelaide-based Flinders University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on maritime research and education programs in support of AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.…
Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited (EOS) has announced a new order for its Slinger Counter-Drone Remote Weapon Systems (RWS), amounting to €11.4 million or approximately $20 million, from a Western European NATO country. They are intended to address urgent operational…
The Melbourne-based C2 Robotics Speartooth Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LUUV) will use a Thales Australia Blue Seeker sense and avoid system as part of its navigation suite, according to Thales Australia. The system uses a multi-frequency sensor that can classify…
New Zealand company Syos Aerospace, which has built more than 150 of its SM300 Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) for both the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and undisclosed European customers, demonstrated ultra long-range control of an SM300 during Indo Pacific. The…
